As is known, high-performance, central-engine vehicle bodies normally comprise a supporting structure made of composite material and only involving the front and central part of the vehicle where the passenger compartment is formed; and the engine block which projects from the rear end of the supporting structure.
The front suspensions and all the other front and central component parts of the vehicle, including the body panels, are variously fixed to the composite material supporting structure, while the rear suspensions, transmission, rear differential, and all the other rear component parts of the vehicle, including the body panels, are fixed directly to the engine block, which in turn is fixed rigidly to the composite-material supporting structure by means of bolts or similar.
Though ensuring a high degree of rigidity and passenger safety, bodies of the above type have the major drawback of being practically impossible to repair in the event of collision. That is, the mechanical stress produced on impact is transmitted directly to the composite-material supporting structure, which is extremely rigid and lightweight, but also only deformable at the expense of being irreparably impaired structurally.
In the event of impact, in fact, the composite-material supporting structure collapses and disintegrates irreparably, so that,to repair the vehicle, the entire supporting structure must be replaced at exorbitant cost.
Another drawback of the above solution is that the engine block must be fixable firmly to the composite-material supporting structure, and must have a torsional and flexural rigidity comparable with that of the supporting structure, thus greatly increasing manufacturing cost as compared with a conventional engine block, which on average is also lighter than a structural engine block.